RoyJ wrote:
Looking at a getting a Bridgport mill, '73 vintage with 42" table and
variable speed head. Unit it sitting in a garage with easy access, need
to transport it 20 miles, then get it down 3 steps into the shop. I
presume this thing weighs in at about 2000 pounds with a ugly top heavy
weight distribtion.

Plan is to lower table, tilt head upside down to get some clearance and
to lower the center of gravity. Then jack it up and bolt it to a 4'x6'
skid made of 4x4 posts 6' long and 2x12 cross pieces. With some beveled
ends, I can easily skid it out of the garage and up onto a low trailer.
(9000 pound winch on the Jeep is handy)

To get it into the shop with a 36" wide doorway I need to pull the
table. Unbolt the power feed and cranks, unscrew the lead screw, and
slide it out sideways. (??? Am I missing something here?)

You shouldn't need to do this. I have moved a Bridgeport through
several different standard doors without much trouble. I generally
DID need to remove the handle on one end of the table. What I did
was crank the table all the way to one end, work it into the doorway
at an angle, until the short end of the table was aimed into the
side of the doorway you are moving into. Then, you can crank the
table to the other end, now the table is inside. Then, you can continue
the move.
How bad is it to unbolt the head and handle that seperately?
Not a big deal. The 1J (step pulley) comes apart very easily. The 2J
(varispeed) is just a little more complicated. With a shop crane,
engine hoist, etc. you might just remove it in one piece. Otherwise, it
has to be broken down at least into the belt hosuing & motor, and the
main casting section. And, it will still be pretty heavy.
I have a
hoist to make it easy to grab and lift it off. Getting it back on would
be a bit more challenging. How much does the head weigh? Does it lower
the top heavy weight enough to make it safer to do the 3 steps down?

Putting the head back on is not a big deal, as long as you have
something to suspend it with. The 4 bolts will tend to drop down in the
round T-slot, but you just get the head close and wiggle the bolts into
the holes in the main head casting. Yes, removing the head
substantially lowers the center of gravity. If any tilting is needed,
you REALLY want to get the head, and maybe the ram and turret, off the
machine. The Varispeed 2J head probably weighs 200 Lbs.

Oh, yeah, lower the KNEE, too! That weighs even more than the head, ram
and turret.

Jon